WEBVTT THEPONSIBLE FOR ITVI♪♪♪♪SOLEDAD: WELCOME TO "MATTER OFFACT WITH SOLEDAD O'N."I AM SOLEDAD O'BRIEN.MANY POLITICIANSSAY AFTER MASSSHOOTINGS, IT'S NOT SLAWS.IT'S TIME TO MOURN THE LOSS ANDOFR SUPPORT.COLIN GODDARD IS A SURVIVOR OF AHE WAS IN A CLASSROOM ATVIRGINIA TECH WHENBURST IN THE DOOR AND STARTEDRANDTHE GUNMEN KILLED 32 PEOPLE THATTHIT WAS APRIL 16,2007.AT THE TIME, IT WAS CALLEDCOLIN HAS SERVED AS A SENIORPOLICY ADVR EVERYTOWN,THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST ACTIVISTORUNIT'S NICE TO SEE YOU.YOU CAME INON CRUTCHES TODAY.WHAT IS GOING ON?COLIN: ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I HADGET SOMEREMAINING BULLET FRAGMENT.10 YEARS LATER, I'M HAVINGPROBLEMS WITH THE INJURY.LEAD EXPOSURE FOR GUNSHOTVICTIMTHESE FAMILIES AND PEOPLE STILLGO THROUGH THESE DIFTIMES.SOLEDAD: WHAT WAS THE EVENT THATTUCOLIN: THE MOMENT THAT I BECAMEFED ENOUGH WAS APRIL3, 2009, AFTER THE BINGHAMTON,NEW YORK CR SHOOTING.THAT WAS THE FIRST SHOOTING IWITNESSED SINCE THE TECH, AND I WANTED TOCOME TO D.C.I WANTED TO TELL MY STORY.I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MANYELECD OFFICIALS SAID, NOW ISNOT THE TIME TO TA THIS,OR WE CAN'T DO THIS BECAUSE OFTHE SECOND AMENDMENT OR OTHERORGANIZATION.SOLEDAD: WHAT ARE THE LIMITS OFTHCOLIN: THE SUPREME COURT SAID WEGUNS.THAT WAS THE HELLER DECISIONTHATNACTIVISTS THOUGHT WAS THE BLOWTO THE GUN SY MOVEMENT, BUTIN MY OPINION, THA HELPED.IT REMOVED THAT EXTREME CONVERSATION.WE CANNOT BAN GUNS, BUT IDOKNOW WE ARE A SMART, MODERCOUNTRY.WE CAN FIGURE OU PROBLEMS.CERTAINLY, EVERY OTHERWORLD THAT HAS HIGH GUNOWNERSHIP PER CAPITA DOESN'THAVE THE SAME LEWE CAN DO MORE WITHOUT HAVING TOTAKE GUNS FROM ESOLEDAD: IS IT DISRESPECTFUL TOEDIATERM SHOOTING?COLIN: NO.WE TALK ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITHEMERGENCY REHURRICANES, HOW TO DEAL WITHAVIATION SAFETY AFACCIDENTS, AND THESE ARECONVERSATI A NORMALFOR LOGICAL SOCIETIES TOTHE FACT THAT WE ARE PROHIBITEDFROM HAVING THIS CONVEIY TACTICEMPLOYED BY THE GUN INDUSTRYGIVINGS TO ELECTEDOFFICIALS TO GET THEM OUT CONVERSATION THEY AREAFRAID OF HA BECAUSE THEYARE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING KI SEAT.WE KNOW SOLEDAD: -- SOLEDAD:WEKNOW A MAJORITY OF AMERICANSWANT COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS.THERE SHOULD BE A BASICAGREEMENT ON WHAT PEOPLE CAN DOTO HAVE SOME KTHAT HAS BEEN PULLED A MILLIONTIMES.WHY IS IT IMPOSSIBLE OR SEEMIMPOSSIBLE TCOLIN: WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EQUALFO SAY, IFYOU DON'T VOTE FOR GUN SAFETY,WE WILL KICK YOU OUT.FOR SO LONG, THENRA HAS HADTHIS FIELD TO THEMSELVI'M ENCOURAGED BY THE MOVEMENTOF SAFETY MOVEMENT.IT'S BEEN ABLE TO GROW, BUT WECERTAINLY HA GO.WE NEED MASSIVE ELECTION CYCLESTOTHAT IS WHERE THE BUCK STOPS FORA OFFICIALS, ANDTHAT CAN HAPPEN IF THAT BECOMESTHE TREND, AS ITWILL IN THE ONWARDS, PEOPLE WILL THINK, THEPOLITICS HAS CHANGED.THE POLICYHAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD,AND UNFORTUNAT

Survivor of Virginia Tech: Now is the Time to Discuss U.S. Gun Policy

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Updated: 4:45 PM EDT Oct 6, 2017

The nation is still reeling in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, when a sole gunman murdered at least 59 people and injured over 500 at a concert. Many politicians say the focus should be on comfort for the victims and their families, rather than America’s gun policies. Colin Goddard, a survivor of the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, compares that potential discussion to those after a hurricane or plane accidents, saying “these conversations are normal for logical societies to have after a tragedy.” Goddard, now a gun safety advocate, sits down with Soledad O’Brien to share his perspective on why Congress has failed to enact gun policy supported by the majority of Americans and why he says restrictions would not violate the 2nd amendment.